Banijay announced that Filmlance has acquired the television rights to the critically-acclaimed Jana Kippo trilogy from well-known Swedish author, Karin Smirnoff. The series of best-selling novels, based on the character Jana Kippo, is set to be developed into a new Swedish drama with international potential. “Karin Smirnoff is one of the most interesting Swedish authors around and we are incredibly proud to be working on what is sure to be a powerful, world-class television production,” Filmlance’s Chief Executive Officer Hanne Palmquist said.
The producer is Filmlance's Anna Wallmark, who also contributed to "Top Dog" alongside Teresa Alldén and Olof Spaak. The "Jana Kippo" trilogy has sold more than half a million copies in Sweden and has been translated into numerous European languages, including English. “This unique story of love, betrayal, revenge, and lust contains everything needed to create a gripping, exciting, and constantly surprising drama,” Palmquist said.
The story follows Kippo returning to her family village and childhood home, Smalånger. She is on a mission to help her alcoholic twin brother, Bror, her alcoholic twin brother’s life in order as a result of their childhood trauma. Maria was found dead in a forest glade and her murder remains unsolved. The longer Jana stays in her home village, the more facts she discovers about both situations, and herself.
Smirnoff lives in Piteå, Sweden, and worked as a journalist prior to investing in a wood factory. She returned to writing and applied to Lund University writing school while creating what would become her debut: ‘I Went Down to My Brother’, which was nominated for the August Prize 2018 for Fiction. The second book was published in the spring of 2019, with her third book following in Spring 2020.
Karin Smirnoff is one of the most interesting Swedish authors around and we are incredibly proud to be working on what is sure to be a powerful, world-class television production.” Hanne Palmquist Chief Executive Officer, Filmlance
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